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2015 Charger needs new engine

3K views 15 replies 8 participants last post by  krautmaster 
#1 ·
Hey I just bought my 2015 Dodge Charger Rallye and yesterday I splashed through a puddle. It immediately turned off and had to get it towed to the nearest dealership because it wouldn't start back up. The service Manager pulled out the air filter and it was sopping wet. Apparently the air induction sucked water up into the engine and caused it to lock up. Now I need a new engine. Does this not sound ridiculous to anyone else. Shouldn't dodge cover this since I've had the car for less than 90 days and it's a malfunction wiThin the car itself. I do not want to go through insurance cause it will definitely raise my premium. Does anyone have a word of advice?
 
#4 ·
A 2" deep puddle can't cause that much water to be sucked into the engine. The lower intake sits about 18" off the ground and it is facing the inside of the fender behind the wheel well liner. Water can't splash in there, it has to be high enough to be flooding the inside of the fender well.

If you believe it really was only a couple of inches of water, you need to get a Lawyer and get pics of the puddle you drove through if you hope to make a case. Witnesses would be good too.

You are facing an uphill battle since all of the engineering data says you drove through deep water.
 
#8 ·
It would require a full tear down, inspection and reconditioning. The water filled the cylinders and slammed the engine to a stop when it tried to compress it.

You could get lucky and not have bent or broken anything, but you slammed the hell out of the engine which is why everything needs to be torn apart and reconditioned.

Usually a hydrolock will break the piston rings, score the cylinders and flood the oil galleries with water. It can also shatter pistons and crack the block with the sudden temperature change and massive compression shock.
 
#10 · (Edited)
I've splashed over 2" of rain, and that's without the belly pan, and never had an issue. Something isn't adding up, especially on a brand new car which should have had the belly pan that SHOULD have protected the car from a splash. The damage sounds more consistent with driving through some flooding, whether light or moderate. Also, "splashing" wouldn't cause enough to hydrolock an engine because a splash would be a fairly small amount of water and by the time it makes its way up, most of it has dispersed elsewhere. Just my $0.02 though...

Good luck though!
 
#12 ·
No, they can't suck water into the engine. You can however flood the pipes and mufflers once the engine stops running if the water is high enough to cover the tips. The resonators have weep holes so they will drain back out, but the mufflers generally don't have them and can remain flooded until the water is blown out.
 
#13 ·
When you went through the puddle and the engine stopped running
Did you try to crank it over ?
Was it cranking ?
I am thinking if it was locked up like the dealer said it would not crank at all or you might hear a bump from the engine before it stopped
If it was cranking normally but not fire up it may have been something electrical
 
#14 ·
 
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